Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Long Version
by charlottembp
Summary: In which I attempt to write the screenplay into a full short story. I have no rights over the characters, plot, or dialogue of this story, which was published as a screenplay based off of an original short story by JK Rowling. I sincerely hope JK Rowling releases Cursed Child as a full story, in which case I shall retire this fan-made version.
1. Act One Scene One and Act One Scene Two

A/N: This story, including characters, settings, and entire plot-line are the intellectual property of JK Rowling, and to further extent the property of Jack Thorne. After reading "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" I was frustrated by the stye of the text, which was written as a screenplay and is currently being performed in London. Due to the nature of screenplay the story has been significantly condensed, in order to limit the overall time of the performance. This is frustrating to me as it leaves this interesting story somewhat lacking in print, with few descriptions and much of the story being pushed along at break-neck speed. I therefore thought it would be interesting to write it out in long-hand, including those valuable descriptive parts of the text and slightly more character interaction and development. I have no desire to claim the plot of this story as my own, nor the characters and universe. I will be loosely following the format of the printed book, in the sense that events that happened in (for example) Act Two Scene One will happen in a chapter called Act Two Scene One. I will be including portions of text created from my own imagination, to fill in where I see gaps in the storyline already created by Rowling and Thorne A particularly large disclaimer must be made for this chapter, which is the long-hand Chapter 37 Epilogue- 19 Years Later, repurposed in A Cursed Child in script format, over two scenes but containing the same interactions and almost identical dialogue. I felt no need to rewrite this chapter of the script as Rowling already did so, and so instead have pasted it below. I reiterate that I have no moral or intellectual rights over the work below, and that all copyright is to JK Rowling, author of the book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp and golden as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road towards the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air. Two large cages rattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl trailed tearfully behind her brothers, clutching her father's arm.

"It won't be long now, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.  
"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go _now_!"  
The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Albus's voice drifted back to Harry over the surrounding clamour; his sons had resumed the argument they had started in the car.

"I _won't_! I _won't_ be in Slytherin!"  
"James, give it a rest!" said Ginny.  
"I only said he _might_ be," said James, grinning at his younger brother.

"There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth—"

But James caught his mother's eye and fell silent. The five Potters approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, James took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.

"You'll right to me, won't you?" Albus asked his parents immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.

"Every day, if you want us to," said Ginny.

"Not _every_ day," said Albus quickly. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said Ginny.

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Albus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam which was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James had already disappeared.

"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform

"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly.

But the vapour was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud. Harry thought he heard Percy discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations, and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello.

"I think that's them, Al," said Ginny suddenly.

A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, Lily, and Albus had drawn right up beside them.

"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.  
Rose, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.  
"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't," said Hermione, "I had complete faith in you."

"As a matter of fact, I _did_ Confund him," Ron whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Albus's trunk and owl onto the train. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."

Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother, having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "but no pressure."

" _Ron_!"  
Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.  
"He doesn't mean it," said Hermione and Ginny, but Ron was no longer paying attention. Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.

"Look who it is."

Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized the pointed chin. The new boy resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled Harry. Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again.

"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get _too_ friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never for- give you if you married a pureblood."

"Hey!"

James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trol- ley, and was evidently bursting with news.

"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? _Snogging Victoire!_ "

He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.

" _Our_ Teddy! _Teddy Lupin!_ Snogging _our_ Victoire! _Our_ cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing—"

"You interrupted them?" said Ginny. "You are _so_ like Ron—"

"—and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away! He's _snogging_ her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married," whispered Lily sarcastically. "Teddy would _really_ be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing a room with Al—Teddy could have my room!"

"No," said Harry firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."

He checked the battered old watch, which had once been Fabian Prewett's. "It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."  
"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Ginny told James as she hugged him. "Mum! I can't give a professor _love_!"

"But you _know_ Neville!—"  
James rolled his eyes.  
"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him _love_."  
Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Albus.

"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals."  
"I thought they were invisible? _You said they were invisible!_ "  
But James merely laughed, permitted his mother to kiss him, gave his father a fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Albus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Ginny kissed Albus goodbye.  
"See you at Christmas."  
"By, Al," said Harry as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."

"What if I'm in Slytherin?"

The whisper was for his father alone, and Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere that fear was.

Harry crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own. Alone of Harry's three children, Albus had inherited Lily's eyes.

"Albus Severus," Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Ginny could hear, and she was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train, "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But _just say_ —"

"—then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?"  
"It did for me," said Harry.  
He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the wonder in Albus's face when he said it. But now the doors were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents were swarming forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders. Albus jumped into the carriage and Ginny closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned towards Harry.

"Why are they _staring_?" demanded Albus as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.

"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to move, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him.

The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.

"He'll be all right," murmured Ginny.

As Harry looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead.

"I know he will."  
The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.


	2. Act One Scene Three

A/N: This story, including characters, settings, and entire plot-line are the intellectual property of JK Rowling, and to further extent the property of Jack Thorne.

Albus and Rose walked slowly down the corridor of the Hogwarts Express, noting with awe the number of carriages already packed with students. A rattling trolley was heading towards him, and Albus pressed himself against the wall to let it squeeze past him.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" asked the wizened old witch behind it, her claw-like hands grasping the handle with surprising strength, "Pumpkin Pasty? Chocolate Frog? Cauldron Cake?"

Albus could feel his mouth watering, but before he could make up his mind-

"-No thank you," said Rose, nudging Albus to keep on moving, "We need to concentrate."

"Concentrate on what?" he said, as the trolley moved on, leaving nothing but a tantalising aroma in its wake.

"On who we choose to be friends with. Mum and Dad met your dad on their first Hogwarts Express journey, you know…"

Albus gulped. "So we need to choose who to be friends with for life, right now? That's quite scary."

"On the contrary," said Rose, smoothing down her skirt and picking a tiny piece of fluff off of her sleeve, "it's very exciting. I'm a Granger-Weasley, and you're a Potter- everyone will want to be friends with us, we've got the pick of anyone we want."

Albus wondered where this new, social-climbing Rose had come from. "So how do we decide which compartment to go in?"

"We rate them all and then we make a decision."

"Rate them? Based on what?"

"Who their parents might be, how much magic they can do already, which house they want to be in."

"Alright," said Albus, and with a deep breath - "Let's start with this one." He swung the apartment door open, and almost fell into the room with his accidental momentum. The sole occupant looked up and smiled at him. Albus smiled back, cursing himself inwardly and praying he wasn't blushing. "Hi. Is this apartment free?"

"Albus." Rose hissed pointedly, prodding him with her foot.

"It's free. Just me," said the blond boy inside, quietly.

"Great. So we might just - come in - for a bit - if that's okay?" said Albus.

Rose prodded him again, and Albus turned to her, puzzled.

"That's okay. Hi." The boy held his hand out.

Albus stepped forward to shake it, trying to hide that his hand was shaking nervously. "Albus. Al. I'm – my name is Albus…" he stuttered.

"Hi Scorpius. I mean, I'm Scorpius. You're Albus. I'm Scorpius. And you must be…"

Rose looked coldly at him, "Rose."

"Hi Rose," the boy rummaged in his pockets, pulling out a paper bag overflowing with sweets, "Would you like some of my Fizzing Whizbees?"

Rose diverted her eyes away from the bag. "I've just had breakfast, thanks."

"Sure? I've also got some Shock-o-Choc, Pepper Imps, and some jelly slugs."

"I'll have some," said Albus, as he sat down next to Scorpius. "Mum doesn't let me have sweets."

"Really?" Scorpius seemed shocked, "It was my Mum's idea for me to bring them. She always says sweets help you make friends."

"We don't need help making friends," Rose said scornfully. She sat down reluctantly and shot Albus a knowing look. "Sweets are bad for you."

Albus ignored her. "Which one would you start with?"

Rose's words had not been overlooked by Scorpius, who coughed a few times before he produced another bag. "I've always regarded the Pepper Imp as the king of the confectionary bag. They're peppermint sweets that make you smoke at the ears."

Rose tutted, and aimed a kick at Albus while Scorpius wasn't looking.

"Brilliant," said Albus, rubbing his shin and glaring back at Rose, "That's what I'll-"

Rose kicked him again.

"Rose, will you please stop kicking me?"

Scorpius looked up at Rose, who blushed.

"I'm not kicking you," she said.

"You are, and it hurts." Albus rubbed his shin again.

"She's hitting you because of me."

Albus and Rose turned to look at Scorpius, who had a sad expression on his face.

"What?" said Albus, turning his head to look at both of them, "Have you two met before?"

Scorpius shook his head, "I know who you are, so it's probably only fair you know who I am."

Albus was still confused, "What do you mean you know who I am?"

Scorpius gestured. "You're Albus Potter, she's Rose Granger-Weasley. Everyone in the Wizarding World knows who you are."

Albus gulped, and looked at Rose. "Is that true?"

She was still glaring at Scorpius. "Now tell him who you are."

Scorpius sighed. "I'm Scorpius… Malfoy. My parents are Astoria and Draco Malfoy. Our parents…" he paused, "They didn't get on."

"That's putting it mildly," said Rose, snorting. "Your Mum and Dad are Death Eaters!"

"No they aren't!" said Scorpius, his nostrils flaring.

"Are too!" said Rose, standing up, her fists clenched.

"Are not!" Scorpius stood to face her, and his face fell as he realised she stood a few inches taller than him. He sat down again quickly. "Dad was, but Mum wasn't."

Rose snorted again. "Or she didn't get caught, anyway."

Albus sat, watching. He couldn't believe this had already started- fighting about the Great War and who did what.

"She never was one, not ever!" said Scorpius, his volume rising.

"Oh come off of it," Rose's voice was dripping with disgust, "I've seen the rumours in the Daily Prophet. I know all about you."

Scorpius deflated slightly, letting his breath out and sinking down into his seat. "They're not true," he said quietly.

"What rumours?" said Albus. He felt as if this whole conversation was another language, and he would never quite understand it.

Rose sat back down, shrugging. "You tell him," she said, looking at Scorpius.

Scorpius swallowed. "It's just a rumour – all a conspiracy against my father…"

Rose looked at him, silent.

He swallowed again, loudly. "Fine. The rumour is-" he paused, and sighed. "The rumour is that my parents couldn't have children, and that my grandfather was so desperate for an heir- someone to prevent the end of the Malfoy line- that they… they used a Time-Turner to send my mother back-" His voice cracked.

"To send her back where?" said Albus.

Scorpius shook his head.

"The rumour is that he's Voldemort's son, Albus." Rose finished.

There was a horrible, uncomfortable silence in the carriage after her words. Albus couldn't comprehend what she was suggesting- that this small, blond, unassuming boy who'd offered him sweets and was on his way to Hogwarts was- he couldn't be. It wasn't possible. Rose was looking at the floor, scuffing her shoe a little on the carpet. She cleared her throat, cutting through the silence.

"It's probably rubbish," she offered.

"It must be," said Albus.

"Yeah, I mean, look, you've got a nose," Rose said, looking up at Scorpius, and a small smile broke across her face. He laughed a little, and tapped his nose with his index finger.

"100% real."

Rose laughed then, and the tension was broken slightly.

"It's my father's nose," said Scorpius, "I've got his nose, and his hair, and my mother's eyebrows. I'm a Malfoy. Not that that's a great thing either, but I'd rather be a Malfoy than… you know, the son of the Dark Lord."

Albus nodded, and Scorpius smiled at him gratefully.

Rose stood up, "Yes, well, we must get going. Lot's of people on this train. Come on Albus."

"No," said Albus, settling himself back down into the seat, "I'm okay, you go on."

"Albus. I won't wait," she said sternly.

"I wouldn't expect you to. I'm staying here."

Rose stared at him for a second longer, and then turned, leaving the compartment and sliding the door closed behind her. Albus listened to the sounds of her stalking off, further into the train.

"Thank you." Scorpius smiled gratefully again.

"No, no. I didn't stay for you. I stayed for your sweets." Albus grinned back as Scorpius chuckled.

"She's quite fierce," Scorpius nodded towards the door, where Rose had just left.

"Yes," said Albus, "Sorry."

"No. I like it," Scorpius said, "Sounds like she believes the Daily Prophet too much though..."

Albus snorted, "Too true."

"So, do you prefer Albus or Al?" Scorpius popped a sweet into his mouth, and offered the bag over.

"Albus. My family call me Al, but mostly James does it to annoy me. Oh, James is-" He stopped as a plume of smoke emerged from Scorpius' ears, stunned at first, and then he laughed. "Wow."

Scorpius wiggled his eyebrows and Al took a sweet. As the train sped along the scenery changed from suburbs to countryside and the two boys munched through the bags in Scorpius' pockets. As they talked and learned more about each other, Albus was glad to know that there was someone who shared his fears about the school, and understood the implications of having a famous parent, even if it was a bit different for Scorpius. He promised himself that, even if they didn't stay friends, he would never judge this boy by the history of his family, or the rumours about his parentage, and rather by the actions of his person. It was a pleasant journey, and as the train pulled into Hogsmeade Albus felt ready to face the tests ahead.


End file.
